


Falling Slowly

by Midnight_Rising



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Didn't know there was a post timeskip tag, F/M, Fluff, Oops, Post-Time Skip, Romance, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-07
Updated: 2020-01-15
Packaged: 2021-01-24 14:35:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21339817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Midnight_Rising/pseuds/Midnight_Rising
Summary: Spoilers for anything post chapter 11 basically.Several short chapters about Byleth and Leonie and their feelings. Mostly Leonie's feelingsAfter 5 years, Leonie and Byleth are finally able to meet once more. However, to her surprise, Leonie's feelings seem different now. Slowly but surely, and with the nudging of a certain pink haired girl, the two of them grow closer.
Relationships: My Unit | Byleth/Leonie Pinelli
Comments: 6
Kudos: 55





	1. Return

She pinched herself, still unsure of whether she was dreaming or not. It had been 5 years since the fall of Garreg Mach. 5 years since he had disappeared, the scouts only able to find a circlet, which, even now was tied to her belt. 5 whole years she thought she’d failed both her teachers.

And yet here he was. Right in front of her.

They’d shared some brief words whilst fighting the bandits at the base of Garreg Mach. She could barely remember the exchange, stunned to see him alive. There hadn’t been much time after the battle either, as Seteth and Catherine had come down to meet them, the last leg of the journey being filled with noise as they settled in to Garreg Mach. Shared tears and hugs had dominated most of the evening, leaving them little time to think. Now however, night had fallen, and most had retired to their old bedrooms.

She and Byleth were the exception. She cleared her throat, alerting him to her presence. He jumped a little, startled by the sudden noise, bringing a smile to her face. Back when they’d been students here, she and the rest of the Golden Deer had made a game of seeing who could get the most reaction out of their rarely expressive teacher. Claude often won, but she came a close second.

“Leonie?” His voice snapped her thoughts back to the present. He was looking at her with a hint of concern, his voice quiet.

“Hey professor. Couldn’t sleep either huh?” She asked, walking over to him. He shook his head, looking back up at the sky.

“It doesn’t feel real. It only feels like yesterday we were fighting the empire. But it wasn’t, was it? I was… Asleep? Dead? For five years.” He shook his head again, trying to focus. “Sorry. What’s keeping you up? Anything I can do to help?” He asked, voice sincere. She’d always admired that about him. Sure he frustrated her at times, but she respected his willingness to help. She pondered his question for a moment.

“This is probably going to sound a bit stupid, but… It’s hard to believe this is real. Could you put this on? Just to prove to me you’re really there.” She asked, holding out the circlet. He nodded and took it from her, placing it on his head. The moonlight shone down on him as he did, silhouetting him.

She hugged him tightly, hands gripping him, reassuring herself with how solid he felt. He was alive, and real and there. He hugged her back awkwardly, almost unsure about what he was doing. “So uh, are you convinced now?” he asked, shifting a little. “Only if you keep squeezing so hard I might not be much longer.” He joked. She let him go with a laugh and took a step back, grinning from ear to ear.

“Definitely. Thanks professor.” She turned to go. “Oh, one last thing. Whether you were alive or dead, you’re here now. And you’re still you. That’s what matters. It’s good to see you again.” She headed back to her room then, the night air feeling a lot colder. Or was her face hotter? Shaking her head she pushed it from her mind. They had a long journey ahead of them now, even with Byleth back.


	2. A support

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leonie apologises for an old exchange

She groaned as the early morning light played across her restless face. Sitting up she rubbed her eyes and let out another groan. Maybe sleeping in beds that hadn’t been touched for 5 years wasn’t the best idea after all, it stirred up too many old memories.

Too many mistakes.

She climbed out of bed, remembering the last proper interaction she’d had with Byleth before his disappearance. How she’d lost her temper at him so soon after Jeralt’s death. 

She had to apologise. 

How he hadn’t held a grudge against her for it, she had no idea. If the situation had been reversed and it was her dad? She knew she would have struggled to forgive the other person. Frustratedly she tugged on her clothes, stumbling out of the door as she put on her boots. Now she just needed to find him, but where could he be this early in the morning?

\----------

She strode into the training grounds, smiling. Of course he’d be here, he trained almost as much as Felix. Finding him practicing on some dummies she picked up a training spear and tapped on the stone pillar, alerting him to her presence. Upon seeing her he gave a small smile and gestured for him to join her before resuming his stance.

She swallowed, nervous suddenly. What would she do if he refused her apology? What if he really did hate her? Noticing him watching she shook her head and took a deep breath.

“Hey professor. Can we talk?” She asked, heart thumping so loud she was sure he would hear it. He nodded, putting his sword down. She took another breath. “I feel terrible about the last time we spoke.” she said, bowing her head. “I was trying to apologize, and just ended up losing my temper again. I'm really sorry.” She rubbed her temple, embarrassed at the memory.

“It’s all right.” He said, smiling at her and shaking his head. “It was a very emotional time for both of us.” A weight lifted from her shoulders. She almost let out a sigh of relief, but that could wait until she’d finished.

“I figured you’d say that, but I still feel like an idiot.” She replied, putting a hand on her hip. “Somehow I just have a hard time keeping my feelings in check around you.” His eyes widened slightly at this, but she continued before he could respond. “And I think if I don't just tell you what I'm thinking, we'll never be able to have a normal conversation. So, let me clear the air.” She took a breath, calming her nerves. “I want us to… Uh… Engage.” She mumbled, clasping her hands together.

“You want to get engaged?!” he asked, a blush creeping across his face.

“Yeah!” She said eagerly “I-” she paused for a second as her brain caught up with what he’d said. “Wait what?! No! I mean in a duel!” she yelled, face heating with embarrassment. Unbidden, an image of him in a suit, smiling at her from the alter sprang into mind. She shook her head quickly, trying to focus on the present. “I know it's a sudden thing to ask, but I'm not going to feel settled until I know where I stand. Would you do that for me?” She asked, grabbing her practice lance from where she’d left it.

There was a moment of silence before he nodded. “All right.” He replied, picking up the practice sword and taking a stance. She grinned in anticipation, readying the spear.

“Good. Don't hold back, OK? I want to see you at your absolute best!” With that she charged at him.

She gave it her all, and he his. Jeralt would have been incredibly proud of both of them, no doubt. His best apprentice and his flesh and blood, fighting with everything they had. In the end though, there could only be one winner. A small misstep, a misjudged footing, and Leonie was left defenseless, her training spear split in two and knocked from her grasp. She smiled as she yielded. 

“Phew! You got me. I'm completely outmatched…” She said, laughing a little as he helped her up. Byleth shook his head in response.

“You held your own.” He replied, rubbing his hip, where she’d managed to land a solid hit. She inclined her head in acknowledgement.

“Maybe, but you were definitely stronger. Honestly, that's what I needed to see.” She stretched, trying to get the feeling back to her aching limbs. “You're a true successor to Captain Jeralt's style of swordplay. I almost felt like you were him. I thought I was competing with you...but that's as pointless as competing against him would've been. So instead of that, I'm going to focus on keeping the promise I made to him.” She turned to leave, filled with satisfaction.

“What promise?” He asked, confusion evident in his tone. She sighed. Of course Jeralt hadn’t told him. Probably didn’t have time to before…. She turned back round.

“Captain Jeralt said that, if anything should happen to him, I'd have to support you in his place. He didn't sound serious at the time, but it was right before he...you know. Before we lost him. So, I've decided. I'd like to do just what he said. I know I'm not as strong as I need to be. But I swear to you...I'll train until I am. What do you say? Can I call you my employer?” She asked, earnestly. It had been the captain’s last wish. She had to protect him. No, she wanted to protect him. Without hesitating he nodded.  
“I know I can count on you.” He said, a faint hint of a blush on his face.

“Yes!” She fistpumped. “It's official! I'll protect you, no matter what!” With that, she left, feeling far lighter than she had when she’d woken up. Once more, the image of Byleth in a suit, smiling at her from the alter surfaced in her mind.


	3. Archery Lessons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leonie's feelings start to blossom and Hilda takes note

“No, you’re placing your feet wrong. Like this.” She took the archery stance again. “Look how mine are placed and try and copy that.” Byleth looked at her, a hint of confusion on his face.

“Is that not what I was doing?” He asked, poorly imitating the stance again. She sighed and walked over to him.

“You were a mercenary for 10 years and you never learnt how to use a bow? How does that even happen?” She teased, standing behind him.

“Dad figured I’d be better off focusing on my sword skills.” He replied as she maneuvered his arms into position, lining them up with her own. “Plus I could set a snare and pitfall well enough, and bandits never had pegasi.”

“So he never taught you his own fighting style? Aside from the swordplay.” she asked, lining his feet up with hers, carefully nudging them into position.

“Nah, I never got on well with horses. They were able to sense I don’t have a heartbeat and that spooked them.” He replied, shifting slightly, the stance making his arms ache. She grabbed his arms, straightening them out.

“Like this. There, that’s it!” She said, holding him in position. “Now you’d draw back the string like.. Like…” She suddenly noticed how close she was. Flushing a little she stepped back briskly. “Like that! Great work teach! That’ll do for today!” she said, turning so he couldn’t see her face.

“Very well. See you at dinner.” He said, a hint of confusion in his voice as she left. As soon as she was outside she broke into a jog, trying to clear her head. Why had he made that comment about getting engaged?! She was the second blade breaker, she shouldn’t be blushing over some cute boy, especially when she was trying to train him!

“Who’s a cute boy?” She jumped, stumbling as she was thrown off her rhythm. “Huh? Did I startle you? Sorry about that!” The voice said as she steadied her footing. The pink haired girl sat up from where she’d been laying, idly twisting some grass in her hands.

“What are you even doing there Hilda?” Leonie snapped, trying to regain her breath. “And who said anything about anyone being cute?” Hilda stood up, stretching a little before dusting off her dress.

“Just sunbathing. I figured I’ve done enough today for a break. And you did, you were talking to yourself.” She replied, sauntering over to the taller girl. “So.” she grinned. “Who’s this cute boy that’s on your mind?” she asked again, cornering her.

“You’re not going to let me go until I say, are you?” Leonie asked, resigned.

“Nope!” Hilda replied, cheerily.

She sighed in defeat. “Alright, fine. Just don’t tell anyone OK? It’s Byleth. Since he came back and I was able to apologise to him I’ve… Been more aware of him I guess.” She muttered, face flushed.

“Wait, you didn’t have a crush on him 5 years ago?” Hilda asked, genuine surprise in her voice.

“Wha- No! Why would you think that?” She cried, voice full of incredulity.

“Well you were pretty competitive with him, we all just assumed-”

_“All of you?!”_

Hilda shrugged in response. “Well, you don’t need to worry Leonie. Your secret’s safe with me!” She winked and walked off. Leonie groaned and put her head in her hands._ Well, so long as I don’t make it obvious, everything should be fine right?_ She thought to herself.

_...Right?_


	4. Gardening Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leonie and Byleth share some time in the greenhouse.

She placed the watering can down, wiping the sweat from her brow. The greenhouse got absurdly warm during the garland moon. Taking off her gloves she stepped outside, stretching. It had been a long few months, but they were making progress. Maybe they’d even be able to finish the war by the end of the year.

Maybe by that point she’d understand her own feelings more.

Hilda was convinced she had a crush on their old professor and had decided to aid her. What she meant by that, Leonie was not yet sure of. Catching what she referred to him as, she shook her head. Surely there had to be a better term than that right? It made him sound like professor Hanneman for goodness sake.

“Leonie!” Hearing her name she turned to see Hilda waving at her, Byleth by her side. She waved back as they walked over.

“Hey Hilda, hey professor.” she said when they reached her. “Everything OK?” Byleth nodded.

“Hilda thought you might need a hand with the greenhouse, so we came to help.” He said, picking up a trowel.

“Oh, I actually have to go and help Seteth, so it’ll just be you two. Sorry professor.” Hilda said apologetically. As Byleth rolled his eyes good naturedly and turned to deal with a particularly unruly flower bed, Hilda winked and gave her a thumbs up. “Have fun you two~” She called as she walked off. Mentally making a note to get her some jewelry at some point, Leonie turned to Byleth as he pulled up a weed.

“I’ll start on the vegetable patch.” she said, pulling her gloves back on. He nodded and handed her a watering can.

Between the two of them, the tasks were finished quickly, both working together as if they had been for years. Silence between them at first, but that was swiftly broken by conversation. Tactics, life before the war, the best fish they’d caught in the pond, they covered a wide variety of topics, chatting and growing closer with every comment.

She stood up, wiping the sweat off her brow. “You know, you’ve not been our professor for a while.” She said, remembering her thoughts from earlier. He sat down, taking a swig of water from one of the flasks Cyril had brought them earlier. He winced a little, remembering how long he’d been gone.

“I have not, no. Is there any particular reason you’re bringing this up?” He asked, putting the flask back down. She walked over and sat next to him. “

Well, I was wondering if we should call you something else instead. I thought about our old professor, but that just makes you sound like professor Hanneman.” She joked, getting a grin out of him. She tried to ignore how it made her heart jump. “So do you have any suggestions?” She asked, scooting closer to him. He thought for a moment, hand on his chin.

“Well, you could call me by my name.” He said, passing her a flask. “I don’t think anyone’s done that since I’ve come to the monastery. Kinda weird honestly.” he continued, idly brushing some loose dirt off his trousers.

She grinned to herself. His name was easy enough. “Your name? Sure thing B-” the word died on her lips. She felt her face heating up._ Seriously? You can’t even say his name without this?!_ She thought to herself, frustrated. He looked at her expectantly. Blushing she swiftly turned. “Nope! Sorry! It’s too weird!” She said, voice raised. “Oh hey is that the time? Sorry, I need to go help Lysithea with the thing at the place, gotta go!” She ran out, mentally cursing herself.

———-

Byleth cursed and put his head in his hands. _Nice going genius. You’re not going to get anywhere with her at this rate._ He thought. A knock on the doorframe made him look up. Claude sighed, shaking his head. “That was certainly a reaction. What did you say to her, teach?”

“I just said she could call me by my name. I didn’t think it’d go that badly.” he replied, slight sullenness in his tone. Claude swiped some grapes from a vine before sitting next to him.

“Huh, she must be really into you for her to run away from that.” he said, grinning impishly before devouring several grapes.

“Or she really isn’t in to me.” Byleth replied, taking a couple of grapes before Claude could finish them all. “Are you sure you heard right? What were doing on the roof anyway?” he asked, a hint of suspicion peppering his questions.

“Hey, you assigned me to sky watch that week remember?” he replied, taking a grape back from him. “I saw someone running and landed on the roof to take a closer look. Of course it just turned out to be Leonie, but I definitely heard her admit she has feelings for you.” he tried to get the second grape back but got his hand swatted for his troubles.

“So she just gets embarrassed around someone she’s attracted to? You must admit that’s pretty hard to believe.” Byleth responded, eating the grape before any more mischief could occur. “I mean, it is Leonie we’re talking about.”

“True. I guess we’ll never know, if you mess up this badly again.” He teased, winking at him. Byleth stole the remaining grapes in retaliation. “Well it’s her birthday soon, maybe you could do something nice for her then. For now, try and focus on getting us through the next battle alive hm?” With that he left, taking some more grapes on his way.

Left alone, Byleth sighed and got up. He was right after all. The upcoming fight was more important than whatever silly feelings the two of them might have for eachother.

Though it wouldn’t take long to write up a list of things to get her, right?


	5. Birthday gift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leonie celebrates her birthday, Byleth gives her a gift.

She woke up early. She always had on her birthday, eager to get her morning chores out of the way so she could have the rest of the day to herself. Quickly she got dressed and headed to the dining hall, glad that for once in this wretched war she could celebrate it without worrying about being killed.

Once she reached the hall and grabbed a sweet treat (Sweets for breakfast was totally fine for your birthday no matter your age, she reasoned) she sat down, wondering how best to spend her free time. The fishing pond was probably going to be quiet this afternoon, so perhaps a few hours there? The clatter of a tray being set down next to her broke her reverie, as did the excited “Happy birthday!” from the enthusiastic girl who followed it.

“Thanks Annette!” She replied, the mages enthusiasm bringing a grin to her face. It was good to see her smiling again. The battle at Gronder Field had taken a heavy toll on all of them. Pushing those dark thoughts to the back of her mind she focused on what the other girl was saying.

“So, have you got any plans for today? Ooh perhaps I could try out some looks for you!” she said, eyes lighting up at the idea. Surprised by her suggestion, Leonie thought on it for a minute. She wasn’t really one for makeup, or getting dressed up fancily, so hearing Annette suggest it was rather surprising. 

“Well I going to head down to the pond and fish for a bit. Though I guess we don’t really spend a lot of time together… What’s brought this idea on anyway?” She asked, curiosity getting the better of her. 

“Your date this evening of course!” She replied, beaming.

“My what.” Leonie felt her face heating up.

“The evening tea you’re having with the professor! Remember? He gave you the invitation yesterday.” She said, heedless of the other girls reaction.

“H-he does that for everyone on their birthday, it’s not a date or anything.” She retorted, cursing herself at how her voice stuttered. She remembered her reaction from yesterday, her running to Hilda to get advice or words of encouragement or something from her. Annette hadn’t seen that surely?

“Well yeah, but I thought with the way the two of you interact with eachother…” Inwardly she let out a sigh of relief. While she probably had noticed how she felt, she could play it off. Besides, it’s not like he felt the same way right? She’d notice if he did.

“What, we act like lovers? You should tell him that, I bet the reaction you’d get would be hilarious!.” She teased, resisting the urge to ask if they were cute together. Annette pursed her lips together, scrutinizing her for a few minutes. Eventually she turned away, letting her breathe a sigh of relief. 

“Well, in that case, could I come fishing with you? I’d love to learn how to!” She turned back to her, eyes gleaming once again. Leonie grinned at her enthusiasm, and started to head to the pond. Sure it would be busier this early on, but it was easier to teach when there were more people there to help.

“Sure! Let’s go!” She called back, striding out the door.

\---------------

The sun was beginning to set as she approached the dormitory. She stopped for a moment, taking some deep breaths to calm herself. This was just tea. That’s all there was to it. Tea with someone she was attracted to. Nothing more. 

Having failed to calm her nerves she continued on up the steps, stopping to give one of the cats that roamed the grounds a scritch behind the ears, before reaching his door. Taking a deep breath, she knocked. “Come in!” he called, voice muffled. After a quick prayer to the goddess that she wouldn’t mess this up, she entered.

As she entered the room, she was struck by how clean it was. The wooden floor almost looked new, and the window was practically sparkling. Byleth himself was also looking cleaner than usual, as if he’d just stepped out of the shower. She was suddenly aware of how dishevelled she must look in comparison. Goddess she hoped she didn’t smell of fish. 

If she did, he at least had the manners to not comment on it. He pulled out a chair for her and took one opposite from her as she sat down. “Happy birthday Leonie!” He said, smiling at her. “Tea?” He asked, holding up a teapot. She nodded, and helped herself to a small cake as he poured it out. He really had gone all out it seemed. If this is what he was like just for the birthdays of his students, what would he be like for the birthday of someone he loved? Pushing that thought aside she took a sip of the tea and let out a gasp of surprise.

“This is my favourite! I thought the merchants had sold out this month!” She said, before eagerly taking another sip.

“Ah, that was probably my fault, I was able to grab the last few leaves apparently.” He replied, stirring some sugar into his cup. “So anyway, how has your birthday been?” He asked, leaning forward slightly.

Time passed swiftly, her eagerly talking about her day, how good the fishing had been, how her combat sessions had been going, him listening, asking questions and making jokes, the two filling the quiet room with noise and friendship as the sun slowly slipped behind the horizon. Eventually, long after the tea and cakes were gone, they had to call it a night.

“Well, it’s getting late. I should probably go, people might start to talk otherwise.” She joked, getting out of her chair and stretching. He laughed softly and got up as well.

“Before you leave, I do have a gift for you. Would you mind closing your eyes for a minute?” He asked as he gathered up the dirty crockery.

“Well OK, but you’d better not do anything weird!” She teased, closing her eyes, much as she wanted to see if she’d made him blush. She heard the sound of things being moved, and then a rustling of paper, before a large wrapped item was placed in her hands. Opening her eyes she was able to tell what it was easily. A fishing rod was a very distinct item, even when it was poorly wrapped in brown paper. “Well, thanks professor!” She said as she unwrapped it. “I uh, don’t want to be rude, it’s really good quality, but you know I have a fishing rod right?” She looked it over. It looked well loved, but was still in good condition, almost better than her own. As she ran her hands along it she felt a small notch in the wood, as if something had been carved in it. 

“Oh I know, but I figured you’d like it for sentimental reasons at the very least. It belonged to dad after all.”

She froze, looking at the carved initials. JE. It was hard to read them, they’d gone blurry for some reason. She blinked the tears away, and held the rod close to her. “I can’t take this. It’s yours. I shouldn’t have it.” she hardly heard herself speak, still stunned by what she was holding.

“He once joked that whoever avenged his death would get his stuff. You helped me do that. Besides I can’t use it. I tried but… It just isn’t right for me.” He walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder. “You’re better at fishing than I am anyway, he’d want you to ha-” She hugged him, burying her face into his shoulder. They stayed like that for a while, neither one wanting to let go.

Eventually, reluctantly, they did. “I… Thanks Profes.. No. Thank you Byleth. This is a really lovely gift. Thank you.” She left swiftly, heading back to her room. There, she finally examined all the thoughts she’d tried so hard to ignore.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the final battle against Edelgard draws near, Byleth decides it's a great time to do some flirting

The monastery was a hive of activity. Now that Edelgard had fallen back to Enbarr, the end was finally in sight. Hammers rang in the smithy, the courtyard was filled with the sound of sparring, and the classrooms were filled with arguments over the best approach. Byleth walked through it all, seemingly unbothered by the mounting tension. He’d been asked by some of the soldiers how he could remain so calm in stressful situations before, and told them that acting calm was the first step to it. In reality, his stomach was in knots, and he’d been having trouble sleeping. So much hinged on this last battle going their way, the future of Fodlan even, and here he was getting distracted by what he should say to Leonie afterwards. “We need to both get through this alive first.” he muttered to himself as he turned the corner towards the classrooms, almost walking into Claude.

“Hey Byleth. Headed to the meeting?” He asked, swiftly falling into step with him.

“Hm? Yes. If we don’t have a solid plan of attack we can forget about making it through in one piece.” He replied distractedly, fidgeting with the sleeves of his coat. 

“Uh huh. And you’re 100% dedicated to thinking up a plan and not daydreaming about a certain ginger I take it?” He asked, grinning teasingly at his former teacher. Byleth reddened a little and looked away. “Hey I get it, you’re not the only one with a girl on their mind.”

“The difference is, you’ve already wooed the one you had your eye on right? Writing a song about her was an excellent idea, but I’m not convinced the same would work for Leonie.” He replied, taking a small amount of satisfaction from the quick look of surprise on Claude’s face.

“You knew? How come you didn’t say anything?” He asked, keeping his voice down as they approached the hall.

“I assumed you were going to announce something once we won.” He replied. “Besides, you haven’t told anyone about me and Leonie. Speaking of which, do you have any last advice before we go and siege an incredibly well defended city?” Claude thought for a moment.

“Well, she’s pretty direct right? Take the same tactic. Give her a compliment she can’t possibly ignore.”

\--------

Leonie paced by the pond, trying to distract herself and failing. She knew that she should treat this like any other battle, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that everything was going to go wrong. She took a deep breath, trying once more to calm herself. She wished Byleth were here. They hadn’t had much time to talk since her birthday, let alone time for her to tell him how she felt. Sure now probably wasn’t a good time, they were about to head into the final battle, he didn’t need that distraction. She turned to pace again and walked square into him.

Time felt like it stopped for a moment. Before she knew what she was doing she grabbed him in a hug, letting him go as she heard voices in the distance. “Hey Byleth.” she said, trying to not let the nerves into her voice. “The strategy meeting go well?”

“Yeah, it went fine. If everything goes according to plan, we should be able to make good foothold with minimal casualties. Feeling nervous?” He asked, a note of concern in his voice.

She sighed. “A little. I mean, it’s natural to be right? This is probably the most important fight of the whole war. Do you really think we can do this?” She asked, her voice a mixture of worry and almost pleading.

“With you on our side, I’m sure we’ll win.” He replied, eyes more serious than she’d seen before. She blushed, and stared at the ground, unsure of how to respond. How could he say something so sweet so easily? It wasn’t fair.

“Well how am I supposed to react when you compliment me at a time like this?” She rebuked gently. His expression shifted subtly. Worry. She could recognise it easily now. Worry he’d upset her. That wasn’t good.

“Sorry, I just thought-” She held a finger to his lips, still looking at the ground.

“I…. I wouldn’t mind it if you said something like that after the battle though.” She replied, her blush deepening. 

After all, they’d have all the time in the world once they’d defeated Edelgard.


	7. S support

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The war is over. Fodlan is safe. Byleth and Leonie embark on a whole new journey

She limped slowly up the stairs of the goddess tower, taking care not to break any of her stitches. It had been a really long couple of months, and there was still more to do. But for now at least, they could rest. The alliance… No, not just the alliance anymore, Fodlan was safe. The tyranny of the empire had been but down, the masterminds behind the horrific war had lost their base, and their final weapon had been stopped, cut down by the man she loved.

Reaching the top of the stairs, she walked out into the sunlight, the warm caress of the days final light rejuvenating her after her climb. She looked at the sky and offered a salute. She’d done this after most of their missions. He deserved to hear about how well his child was doing. “You should have seen him captain. He went toe to toe with a legend and came out victorious! You’d have been so proud of him.” She leaned on the balcony, the evening breeze tousling her hair. “Of course, I was pretty good myself. Turns out that if you hit the wing of a demonic beast at just the right angle it’ll come down instantly. I even got a couple of shots in on Nemesis myself!” She bragged. “It probably didn’t do too much, but I like to think it threw him off a little.” She chuckled and winced, putting her hand to her side. “‘Course, the dastard got a couple of hits on me too. Lucky my horse was fast enough, else I’d be talking to you face to face.”

The sound of someone walking up the stairs distracted her from her report. Curious she went to investigate. Usually the tower was quiet around this time, especially with so many people celebrating their victory still. The footsteps reached the top of the stairs and headed towards the western balcony. Leonie followed, idly wondering if she’d caught a secret tryst. As she peered around the corner, her eyes widened in surprise, the tall dark silhouette instantly recognisable to her. “Byleth? What are you doing here?!” she asked in surprise, walking on to the balcony with him. Upon hearing her voice, he turned around, his normally stern face swiftly softening into a smile.

“I could ask you the same thing.” He replied, walking over to her, stopping a couple of feet away, looking as if he wanted to come closer, but wasn’t sure how to without making things awkward. She hesitated a moment. She had no reason to be embarrassed about talking to her hero, but it was still a little awkward to admit. But surely Byleth would understand right?

She took the plunge. If she couldn’t admit this to him, she had no hope of furthering their relationship. “I was talking to Jeralt. The sky feels so close...like you can almost touch the stars. I thought my voice might reach him.” She admitted bashfully. He nodded in understanding, and a wave of relief went through her. Of course he’d get it. He’d probably done the same thing.

“What were you saying?” He asked, gentle curiosity in his voice.

“That the war's finally over. And that his kid and his greatest apprentice did an amazing job out there!” She said proudly, before letting out an awkward laugh. “Though maybe I'm overselling the part I played.” she finished. Byleth laughed quietly, shaking his head.

“You were amazing.” He said, the sincerity in his voice making her heart skip a beat.

“Thanks, but I was nothing compared to you. I feel like an idiot for ever thinking I could surpass you.” she replied, laughing off his praise. Taking a deep breath, she decided to broach the topic that had been on her mind since they’d returned. “I have managed to keep my promise though. So, how would you feel about hiring me again? Can't exactly go and break my word now, can I?” She asked, heart thumping._ Goddess, please let him say yes._ She prayed silently, only to have her heart drop seconds later as he shook his head.

“Your promise has already been fulfilled.” He replied, tone oddly even. Surely he wasn’t thinking of dousing the fire between them right?! Not after all this, she’d come too far to lose him now.

“The war's over, but the enemy might still be lurking! What if they're waiting until I'm gone to attack you?!” She retorted, scrambling for a reason to remain close to him. Her heart sank even lower as he shook his head again.

“I’ll be fine.” He replied, patting the handle of the sword of the creator

“But—” her protests slowly ceased. “Oh, I get it. You're probably pretty tired of me always trailing after you, huh?” She said gloomily. Of course he was. It’s not like she’d done much to endear herself to him in the first year they’d known each other. And the way she’d behaved around him during the past year had prob-

“Not at all. In fact… I love you Leonie.” Those four words cut through her gloom in an instant. He loved her. _He loved her._ She didn’t dare hope. If he loved her he wouldn’t be pushing her away right?

“Love?! As in... As in the way a commander loves his soldiers, right? Of course that's what you mean…” She babbled, face flushed. He sighed patiently and reached into his pocket, pulling out a small box and handing it to her. Heart once again hammering in her chest, she opened it, and her breath caught in her throat.

“Oh, that's...that kind of love! Can this really be happening?” the ring shone in the sunset, a question and a promise entwined.

“Will you marry me Leonie?” He asked, gazing into her eyes, smiling that small smile she loved so much.

“I... Of course will! You are being serious, right? That would be an awful joke…” She said, almost jumping from happiness. He nodded and she did then, catching him in a hug, which he happily returned. “I'm sorry. I should have been honest. All that stuff about my promise a minute ago, it was mostly just an excuse for wanting to be near you. But, I'm not really the romantic type, so I had a hard time coming out and saying it. Are you sure this is what you want though? I know I'm not exactly conventional.” she babbled, hardly able to contain herself.

“You aren’t conventional, sure. But that’s one of the reasons I love you so much!” He replied, hugging her back, tightly.

“Guess I'm really wearing this ring, then aren't I?” She said, slipping it on. It was a perfect fit. “But, I do still have a promise to keep with Captain Jeralt too.” She ran on to the balcony and turned to face him, one hand in a fist. “You've got a big job ahead of you, building a whole new Fódlan. I'm going to support you through all of that. Make sure it never gets to be too much. Then that's that! I promise to protect you until death parts us! And...I'll be happy for you to do the same for me.” With her promise made she walked back to him, gazing up at her love.

“You can count on me. Until the very end my love.” He replied, taking her hand. “I love you Leonie.” She stood on tiptoe and kissed him.

“I love you too Byleth.”

They kissed again as the sun finally set.


End file.
